34 Synopsis of the Birds 



reaching to three fourths the length of the tail, which is two 

 and a half inches longer ; third and fourth primaries equal.* 



Adult male bluish grey ; rump, inner web of the quill 

 feathers, and beneath pure white ; primaries black at the end. 

 Female and young chocolate brown ; rump white ; be- 

 neath rusty ; wings and tail on the under side, and two mid- 

 dle tail feathers also above, banded with black and white ; 

 lateral with blackish and rusty. 



Marsh Hawk, Falco nliginosus, Wils. Am. Orn. vi. p. 67- 

 pi. 5\> Jig. 1. young female ; and nob. Am. Orn. ii. pi. n. 

 Jig. i. adult male. 



Inhabits both continents. The young only are common in 

 Pennsylvania and the northern parts of this continent, whence 

 they migrate in winter to the south. 



3. STRIX. 



Strix, L. Briss. Gm. Lath. 111. Cuv. Vieill. Temm. Ratiz. 



Asio, Briss. Surnia, Bubo, Strix, Dumeril. 



Noctua, Scops, Bubo, Syrnium, Strix, Savigny. 



Bill very short, cleft to the eyes, compressed, much curved ; 

 upper mandible rounded above, dilated on the margins, entire, 

 terminating in an acute hook ; cere small, soft, concealed 

 by incumbent setaceous feathers ; lower mandible notched, 

 obtuse : nostrils perforated on the anterior edge of the cere, 

 rounded, open, concealed by the porrect bristles : tongue 

 thick, fleshy, somewhat canaliculated, papillous at base, emar- 

 ginate at tip : eyes very large, directed forwards, with a nic- 

 titating membrane ; orbits large, surrounded by long, slen- 

 der, radiating feathers anteriorly almost covering the bill, 

 and posteriorly concealing the ears : head large ; face large, 

 surrounded by a collar of small rigid elevated feathers : body 

 generally thick, short, and heavy. Tarsi generally short 



* By these characters, ornithologists will perceive that F. uliginosu*. 

 Wils. is the voun«: of F. cvaneus, and not of F. cineraceus. 



